Life preserving device



May 19, 1931. F. KOGL 1,805,721

LIFE PRESERVING DEVICE Filed May 26. 1930 INVENTOR v FRANK KosL ATTORNEY X or partition 12.

Patented May 19, 1931 UNITED: STA

BATE Nerf oFFrcEj FRANK-Keen or s'r; PAUL, mims m, ssrGNonor ONE-HALF TO HANS srEINGAs a j SINGER, or ZELL-QI\T .-THE-ZILLER, AUSTRIA v LIFE rnnsnnv'rne DEVICE Application filed ll/lay 26,

This invention relates to li-fe preserving apparatuses, and the primary-object is to p'r0videamechanism, for attachment to any suitable form of pneumatic'life preserving unit, which mechanism'will generate gas to inflate the unit'so that the unit can be carried about or normally kept in a collapsed "condition until there is'occasion to use it, at which time the generating mechanism is put into 0 action to inflate the preserver proper, thus effecting an economy in space When the device is not in use. Further and more detailed objects will' be disclosed in the course of the following specification, reference being had to the 'accompanyingdrawingain which:

Fig, 1 is ,a ,diametrical sectional elevation of myimproved'generator unit, showing it as attached to apneumatic life preserver.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view as on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. ,7

Fig. 3'is a top end view of the generator.

Referring to the drawings more particularly and by reference characters A'desig- I A nates generally a pneumatic or inflatable life preserver unit, which may be of any suitable size, form, or design, and is attached to the nipple 4 of'the generator as shown in Fig. 1

so as to be in communication therewith.

The generatorproper comprises a cylindera e 5 having a cap 6 screwed upon one end while its opposite or lower end is threaded to screw tightly into the flange 7 of a cup shaped chamber '8, a gasket 9 being preferably inserted in the joint to insure sealing contact.

The cylinder 5 is provided in its lower end with an annular arcuately curved partition 10 that continues in a trunco-conical valve seat 11, which, in turn is again joined to the cylinder body by a fiat, integral cross wall Thus the lower end of the cylinder combines with the integral members 1011-12 to form an annular passageway 13, with which the nipple 4 connects, while the members 6, 5, and 10 unite to form a i relatively large water chamber 14 that is normally closed by a valve core 15 fitting in the seat 11.

The valve 15 is secured upon the lower end of a rod 16 by nuts 17 and 18 which are ad- 5 9 justable that the valve lliayv be adjusted rings 28'. This disk is attached to the rod 16 "screen 30 detachably secured byia split ring 'glwhichis sprungoutwardly intoia smallan- -nulargroove in the inner surface of thecup 8.

setgforth as follows a 1930." ser al No. 455,653.

longitudinally on the rod if and when necessary. The upperend of the rod is slidable ina bushing 19, of the cap 6, andhas afsmall cross pin'20, at its upper extremity, which operates ina pair of cam acting slots 21in a pair of disk members 22. The members 22 are rotatably secured to, the cap 6 by a pair of straps'23, and are both integrally joined by a lever member 24. It will thus be seen that when the lever is down, a's shown, the cam disks will operate to hold the valve 15 closed, but when the leveris tripped or moved upwardly the cam slots 21 willact upbnthe pin 20 to move the rod '16 downwardly,thus opening the valve 15 to permitthe water in chamber 14 to flow down into the chamber-8.

The above noted downward movementof -the-.-rod 16 also operates to open communication'between the chambers 13 and .8, as follows: The horizontalpartition 12is provided with an. annular, series. of perforations -25'tha'tare normally closed-by the ring shaped fflange 26 of a -spideror disk 27 having openbetween the valve 15and nut 18, andconSQ- 7B quently when the va'l'veis opened thefiange 26 separates from the partition 12 so that comlmunication between chambers 8 andg13fis established through the perforations 25 and :28; Gl'osing of the valve 15, bythe lever 24, alsoof course closes the flange 26 against the =perforatioi1s25.g I

The .chamber v8 is employed for-the ,purpose ofstorin-g a supply of gas producing material :such as calcium carbide; designated as 29, which when charged withwater will generate afsubst'antial volume of acetylene gas, or such other gas as the particular generatingmaterial may throw off. The matename ispreferablyheld in "place by a coarse :The operation of the device may be briefly When the deviceistobecarriedonthe-per- I son or otherwise kept in' readiness-for emergency use, the chamber 14 is filled with water,

"the 011198 isfilled with a? carbide or othergas g ne a aasal, the lever 2% is'clev'vn; and 1199 p the preserver float A is deflated. When the operator then anticipates use for the device, or even if he finds himself thrown into the water, he has but to release the lever 24:, which action will open the valve 15 and the ports 25. The water in chamber l i then escapes into the chamber 8 where it contacts with the carbides 29 and generates the desired gas and as such gas is rapidly generated it escapes through the openings 28, 25, 13, and A to the preserver unit and thus inflates the latter so as to buoy up and support the person wearing or holding the device. Y

It may here be noted that the invention also contemplates broadly the idea of providing a generator wherein the carbide is so arranged that it will permit water to enter from outside of the unit, thus automatically starting the generation of gas should the bearer fall into the water, and such a device may also of course have a water chamber so that the generation may be manually started.

It is understood that suitable modifications may be made in the structure as disclosed, provided such modifications come within the spirit and scopeof the appended claims.

Having now therefore fully illustrated and described my invention, what I claim to be new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A generator for life preservers comprising a cylinder having a water chamber therein, a container for carbide or the like attached to the cylinder, a valve normally closing the water chamber and which when opened will permit water to flow into the container, said cylinder having an annular pasand a central valve seat, a valve head associated with said seat, and a valve for closing communication between the annular passageway and the contain-er, said container having a screen for retaining the carbide therein.

5. A generator for life preservers comprising a cylinder having a water chamber therein, a partitioning member in one end of the cylinder forming an annular passageway and a central valve seat, a valve head as sociated with said seat, and a valve for closing communication between the annular pas sageway and the container, said container having a screen for retaining the carbide therein, andmeans for simultaneously opening both of said valves.

6. A generator for life preservers comprising a cylinder having a water chamber therein, a partition member in one end of the cylinder forming an annular passageway and a valve seat, a container attached to said end of the cylinder, and adapted to communicate with the passageway through perforations in the partition member, a valve for the valve seat and a valve for normally closing the perforations, and a manually operated rod extending axially of the cylinder for 0penin both of said valves.

igned at Minneapolis, Minnesota, this 24th day of May, 1930.

FRANK KOGL.

sageway about the valve for communication with the preserver, and valve controlled 1 means normally closing the passageway with respect to the container.

2. A generator for life preservers comprising a cylinder having a water chamber therein, a artitioning member in one end of the cylin er forming an annular passageway, communicating with the preserver, and a central valve seat, a container attached to said end of the cylinder for carbide or the like, a valve core associated with said seat 7 to open the water chamber to the container, and means operative by movement of the valve core to establish communication between the container and the said passageway.

3. A generator for life preservers comprising a cylinder having a water chamber therein, a partitioning member in one end of the cylinder forming an annular passageway and a central valve seat, a valve head. associated with said seat, and a valve for closing communication between the annular passageway and the container.

4 A generator for life preservers comprlsing a cylinder having a water chamber therein, a'partitioning member in one end of the cylinder forming an annular passageway 

